International: People Power Over the next four years there is a real potential a major struggle will take place for workers’ rights and the creation of truly democratic unions in China., writes Andrew Casey

The SoapboxHail to the Metro-Sexual!If the cultural shift required in the workplace to give greater security to working families was broadly accepted the ACTU would not be locked in an adversarial Work and Family test case argues Sharan Burrow.

Shot In The Arm for Dealers

Star City casino workers dealing with bodily fluids including vomit and blood has led to them being offered free Hepatitis B vaccinations.

Punters coughing and spluttering over dealers, dirty sheets, handling potentially violent customers are among the safety risks faced by casino workers, placing them at risk from contracting the disease.

The Liquor Hospitality & Miscellaneous Union has secured the measure to protect employees, a move it says comes from experience in American casinos where the vaccination shots are used to protect hotel and casino employees.

"We have had an ongoing concern about staff in higher risk occupations," says Tim Ferrari. "There are not too many people at the casino it doesn't affect."

"We'd like to stress that there is not a high level of incidents."

The shots will be voluntary but 250 employees took up the initial offer when Medical staff gave the course of free injections on site.

The development follows the success of the casino worker's union in introducing measures to deal with aggressive behaviour by casino customers, which has increased the confidence of staff.

The LHMU has also achieved the introduction of metal detectors to stop guns and knives coming into the casino.

"The odds are getting higher that some disgruntled punter who has lost their life's savings would come in seeking retribution," says Ferrari. "As happened in Mississippi in 1999 when a punter returned and shot three dealers."